Where you stand,
question by question.

Straight answers to the questions people actually ask, each one grounded in the current statute, quoted word for word and linked to the official text so you can check us. The same law our engine stands on.

Parking

• Do I have to pay a private parking charge?Private parking charges are not fines.
• Council parking fine: how the appeal route worksA Penalty Charge Notice from a council is not a private parking charge: it has a formal, free, two-stage appeal route ending at an independent tribunal.

Refunds & faulty goods

• Can I get a refund on faulty goods?Bought something that turned out faulty? The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a 30-day right to reject for a full refund, and strong rights after that.
• It broke within six months: the presumption in your favourIf goods go wrong within six months of purchase, UK law presumes the fault was there on day one, and the burden of proof sits on the shop, not you.
• They've repaired it and it's still brokenAfter one failed repair or replacement, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you the final right to reject: your money back, not another trip to the repair shop.
• Returning an online order: your 14-day rightFor most online purchases you can cancel within 14 days of delivery for a full refund, no reason needed.
• My order never arrivedThe seller is legally responsible for your order until it's actually in your hands.
• Faulty used car from a dealerA used car from a dealer must be of satisfactory quality for its age and mileage.

Services & tradespeople

• The builder did a bad jobBuilders, plumbers, decorators: every service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
• Charged more than the quoteIf no price was fixed, the law says you pay a reasonable price and no more.
• The subscription I can't cancelFree trials that quietly renew, cancellations that need a phone call nobody answers: your cooling-off and cancellation rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, quoted.
• The gym keeps charging me after I cancelledGym memberships that keep charging, punitive notice periods and unfair lock-ins: your cancellation rights, unfair terms law, and how to stop the payments.
• The estate agent sprang a fee on meEstate agents must disclose every charge before you sign, hold your money on trust, and declare personal interests.

Money you're owed

• My client won't pay my invoiceFreelancers and small businesses: the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 adds statutory interest at 8% above base plus fixed compensation to every late business invoice.
• I did the work and wasn't paidPlayed a gig, did a job, delivered the goods, and the payment never came? Your route from polite chasing to formal demand to small claims court, with the law quoted.
• I lent money to a friend and can't get it backMoney lent to a friend or family member is legally recoverable: the agreement counts, interest can be added if court proceedings start, and the small claims route is built for exactly this.

Flights & travel

• Flight cancelled: what am I owed?Cancelled UK flight? You may be owed £110 to £520 in fixed compensation plus a refund or rerouting, under UK261.
• Flight delayed three hours or moreArrive three or more hours late and UK261 compensation applies as if the flight were cancelled, plus meals and hotels during the wait.
• The airline lost or damaged my baggageLost, damaged or delayed baggage is covered by the Montreal Convention, UK law via the Carriage by Air Act 1961: liability up to 1,519 special drawing rights, strict complaint deadlines of 7 and 21 days.
• The package holiday went wrongPackage holidays carry their own strong protections: the organiser is responsible for the whole package, price cuts and compensation for failures.

Landlords & renting

• My landlord didn't protect my depositLandlords must protect your deposit in a government scheme within 30 days.
• My landlord won't do repairsLandlords must keep the structure, heating and water in repair, and the home fit for human habitation.
• Can my landlord still evict me for no reason?Since 1 May 2026, section 21 no-fault evictions are abolished in England.
• The letting agent charged me a feeMost letting fees to tenants in England are banned: admin fees, reference fees, renewal fees, check-out fees.
• Can I challenge my rent increase?Rent increases must follow the legal process and can be challenged at tribunal before they start, free.

Neighbours & nuisance

• Noisy neighbours: the formal route that actually worksPersistent neighbour noise can be a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and you can act on it yourself, without waiting for the council.
• Next door's hedge is blocking all our lightEvergreen hedges over two metres that block light to your home or garden are covered by Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003: the council can order them reduced.

Your data

• They ignored my subject access requestA subject access request must be answered within one month under UK GDPR Article 12.
• How do I stop spam texts and marketing calls?Marketing texts and emails need your consent under PECR regulation 22, and you can demand they stop.
• A company leaked my data: can I claim?If an organisation's breach exposed your personal data, UK GDPR Article 82 gives you a right to compensation for damage including distress.
• They won't delete my dataThe right to erasure under UK GDPR Article 17: when an organisation must delete your personal data, the one-month deadline, and what to do when they refuse.

How you paid

• Section 75: your credit card is a safety netSection 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes your card provider equally liable for purchases of £100 to £30,000 when the seller fails you.

Utilities & telecoms

• Power cut compensation: automatic paymentsLong power cuts trigger set compensation payments under the Electricity Standards of Performance Regulations.
• Broadband complaints: the free ombudsman they don't mentionBroadband and mobile complaints stuck in the queue? After eight weeks, or a deadlock letter, a free ombudsman with binding powers takes over.
• Water supply problems: the payments you are owedWater companies owe guaranteed standards payments for supply interruptions, low pressure and sewer flooding, under the 2008 Customer Service Standards Regulations.
• A huge catch-up energy bill: the back-billing ruleEnergy suppliers cannot charge you for energy used more than 12 months ago when the late billing was their fault: the back-billing rule.

Private sales & misleading selling

• Bought privately and it's not as describedBuying from a private seller means fewer rights, but goods must still match their description under the Sale of Goods Act 1979.
• They lied to make the saleFalse claims that induced a purchase: misrepresentation and the banned commercial practices under the DMCC Act 2024.

Guides are added in reviewed batches; each goes through the same checking as the product itself. This is guidance to help you understand your rights, not formal legal advice, and we're entirely independent: no affiliation with Citizens Advice, GOV.UK or any law firm. Every quotation above links to the official text so you can check us. Law verified current at July 2026.